Amazon's Alexa is getting a major AI makeover

Plus, Gannett closes ‘product review site’ amid AI controversy.

Hello and welcome to the Automated, your AI tour guide.

Amazon is preparing a surprise that will blow your mind this October. Want to know more about it? Then stay with us until the end!

Here’s what we have for you today:

  • 💃 Amazon's Alexa is getting a major AI makeover!

  • ❌ Gannett closes ‘product review site’ amid AI controversy!

  • 📩 5 ways to use Gemini in Gmail and Google Drive

  • 👉 The do’s and don’ts of using AI to plan your travel

  • 🤖 ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: Strengthen your personal development skills

💃 Amazon's Alexa is Getting a Major AI Makeover!

Amazon is gearing up to relaunch Alexa with some serious AI upgrades set to roll out in October!

But before we dive into all the cool new features, let's talk about the not-so-great news—the price tag.

Yep, the new, souped-up version—likely called Alexa Plus—could cost up to $10 a month, while the old version will be rebranded as "classic Alexa."

A bit of a bummer, but is it worth it? Well, let’s find out:

According to reports, the new Alexa will be like a super-smart BFF who can recognize your voice, learn about you by asking questions, and even have a more conversational and charismatic personality.

One of the coolest new features is "Smart Briefing," which will give you daily AI-generated news summaries based on your preferences!

And if you're a shopaholic like me, you'll love the Shopping Scout feature, which helps you find deals, track price drops, and even let you know when something you've been eyeing goes on sale!

But wait, there's more!

Alexa 2.0 will also help you find recipes and work with you on dietary restrictions.

We just hope this feature doesn’t tell us to eat glue, as Google’s AI overview did.🤞

If you're a parent, you might appreciate the new "Explore with Alexa 2.0" feature, which lets kids have conversations with Alexa… about anything!

Pretty great stuff, right? However, we have to add that some experts are skeptical, especially about the features designed for kids.

Do we really want our little ones chatting with AI assistants all day? But, if this will help, Amazon is trying to make it "safe and moderated."

Last but not least, Amazon is also launching a web version of Alexa to compete with ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot. 

So, what do you think about these new developments? Are you excited to upgrade to Alexa, or are you a bit hesitant?

Gannett closes ‘product review site’ amid AI controversy!

Newspaper giant Gannett is pulling the plug on its product review site, Reviewed, starting November 1st.

This move follows a storm of controversy over the site's use of AI-generated content, which left even the site's staff questioning the authenticity of its reviews.

Last October, Reviewed staff publicly accused Gannett of pumping out AI-generated product reviews on the site.

Why? Not only did the articles in question sound weird and robotic, but the authors of these articles seemed impossible to find on LinkedIn and other platforms.

In response to the allegations, Gannett denied AI involvement but admitted that the articles were produced by a third-party marketing company called AdVon Commerce.

And get this - AdVon Commerce had previously been involved in similar issues at Sports Illustrated.

However, in the case of Sports Illustrated, it was blatantly obvious that AI was involved because authors' headshots were for sale on AI image websites.

Plus, the company had a reputation for churning out AI-generated marketing content all over the web, some of which former employees said was indeed AI-generated.

So, can we really believe no AI was involved in Reviewed's articles?

With all this suspicious activity, it's no wonder Gannett decided to shut down Reviewed; however, we should point out that no specific reason was given for the shutdown.

Also, we're left wondering about the fate of Reviewed's staff - will they be offered new roles or laid off?

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🤖ChatGPT Prompt Of The Day: Strengthen your Personal Development Skills

Personal development enhances your adaptability in a rapidly changing world!

By continuously improving, you increase your self-awareness, which leads to better decision-making and stronger relationships.

Here's a prompt that can help you with that.

“[ DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND CHALLENGES].

Using the GROW(Goal, Reality, Options, Will) coaching model helped me create a personal development plan to achieve my goals.

We've Compiled a List of Over 100 ChatGPT Power Prompts.

This should help streamline your interactions with ChatGPT and get the results you need more efficiently.

Best of all, It's free!

That's all we've got for you today.

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